Chronic knee injury accounts for nearly half of the injuries from which runners suffer. Impact and propulsive forces are believed to contribute to the development of overuse injuries, so one method of protecting runners might be to reduce those forces. The purpose of this study was to examine the biomechanical role of running poles by comparing normal running to pole running. Ground reaction forces, tibial acceleration, and video data were collected on ten middle-age male recreational runners with a history of knee pain. Subjects ran across a force plate at a constant velocity of 3.5-3.7m/s with an accelerometer attached to the anteromedial aspect of the tibia. Hip, knee, and ankle joint range of motion and torque were calculated. Results indicated significant decreases in the average peak propulsive force and impulse, and a significant increase in peak hip joint torque. It was concluded that by providing an outside source of propulsion, running poles may be useful in reducing the risk of injury to runners. / School of Physical Education